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October 31, 2015 • Vol. IX • No. 22 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Concerns Rise Over Oregon’s Bridges, Economy By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
A report on Oregon’s bridges brought mostly good news for the current state of bridge conditions, but it does not bode well for the future — not for bridges or the state’s economy. “We’re in pretty good shape right now, said Bruce Johnson, Oregon Department of Transportation bridge engineer. “But 40 to 50 percent of our bridges were built during the 1950s and ’60s and they are nearing the end of their design life. What that means is over the next 20 years, we’re going to have 900 bridges that need some major work.” And the money isn’t there to fix them.
Historic Siuslaw Bridge Work Begins...10
Equify Holds A uction in Cisco, Texas...74
The reason bridges are in such good shape now is because of a special 10-year, $1.3 billion bonding program that gave the state $130 million a year for the past decade, allowing it to fix about 270 bridges over the span of the bonding program. Ad space available!
See Page 13
Table of Contents ................4 Crawler Loaders, Dozers, Undercarriages & Parts Section ..........................43-53 Paving ..........................55-63 Auction Section ............66-79 Business Calendar ............72 Advertisers Index ..............78
Employment Rises in 35 States, D.C. in Sept. Construction employment expanded in 35 states and the District of Columbia between September 2014 and September 2015 yet only 23 states added jobs between August and September, according to an analysis released Oct. 20 of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the fact as many states lost construction jobs as added them last month was likely due to a combination of labor shortages and uncertainty about a host of federal investment programs. “Depending on the kind of work they perform, many contractors either can’t find enough workers, or they can’t find enough work,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of the association. “While overall demand for construction continues to grow and sap the pool of available labor, firms that work on federally-funded projects are dealing with a lot see AGC page 38
The reason bridges are in such good shape now is because of a special 10-year, $1.3 billion bonding program that gave the state $130 million a year for the past decade, allowing it to fix about 270 bridges over the span of the bonding program. “Now we’re paying back those bonds,” Johnson said. “So, my bridge budget has been cut and because I am paying back those bonds and the federal government has not increased funding for infrastructure and the state is having trouble with funding infrastructure, it’s ‘watch out guys, we’re in pretty good shape right now but in the next 20 years, bridge conditions are going to go down quickly.’ We’re on the top of a really fast downward see OREGON page 54
Scottsdale’s OdySea Has Unique Design By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
Construction crews with McCarthy Building Companies are right on track to finish work in time for the scheduled July 2016, grand opening of the 200,000sq.-ft. (18,580 sq m) OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Ariz. Work on the two-story, multilevel facility began in March 2015. Set on 14 acres, the aquarium will host marine life tank exhibits throughout, including a giant, elevated cast-in-place concrete aquarium. The innovative building design has minimal right angles with an outdoor see ODYSEA page 42
McCarthy recently completed the installation of 72 tilt-wall panels, which were assembled over eight days. The panels cure for 28 days until they reach full structural strength. At that point, the walls are picked up with a crane and set in place.